Lu Nian never expected that his casual questioning would be met not with the weak, ineffective torrents of High-tier Water Magic, but rather a devastating baptism of High-tier spells.
Tang Yue's Heavenly Flame Funeral was the most overwhelming. The entire sky turned crimson as an immense sea of fire gathered, forming a fiery cloudscape.
Moments later, a barrage of flames rained down like a meteor shower of destruction. The dense downpour of fire crashed down relentlessly each ember comparable to an Elementary-tier Fiery Fist, cascading upon the land like a flaming waterfall.
Instantly, the ground split apart, magma erupted, and the devastation extended for nearly a kilometer.
The twenty or so scum-filled mages were trapped within the very heart of this inferno.
No matter how hard they struggled, no matter how well-trained they were, regardless of the layers of Rock Barriers, Light Shields, and enchanted magical equipment they raised in defense, all of it crumbled beneath the relentless assault of High-tier magic.
Adding to their suffering, Professor Yuan's High-tier Sound Magic joined the fray. Dark purple sound waves swept through the battlefield in rippling layers, their murderous intent surging like a cavalry charge.
A mournful, wailing resonance filled the air. The eerie funeral-like melody penetrated the defenses of the Mid-tier mages, slipping through their protective layers. Flesh and skin cracked, bones shattered, and their internal organs dissolved. The sheer disruption of their mental focus prevented them from casting any further defensive spells.
Within just a few breaths, one after another, the mages exploded into dismembered corpses, their remains incinerated by the flames until nothing but charred ash remained.
As for Lu Nian, even he found himself struggling to survive. Despite being a peak High-tier mage of three elements, he was simultaneously locked onto by three separate High-tier spells, leaving him barely any room to counterattack.
The Sound Magic restricted his ability to cast spells—though not as potent as Curse or Psychic Magic, it still significantly slowed his casting speed.
In a desperate moment, he managed to summon three layers of Rock Barriers around himself.
Yet, against the overwhelming force of the cascading firestorm, the barriers only lasted a few seconds before crumbling one after another, leaving his fragile human body directly exposed to the infernal assault.
Meanwhile, Zhan Kong's Judgment Slash struck with lethal precision. Six sharp wings of wind energy crisscrossed in the air like a hanging scaffold, pinning Lu Nian's back in preparation for a brutal dismemberment.
Faced with this mortal crisis, Lu Nian let out a furious roar. His entire body erupted in radiant golden light as dense, interlocking scales spread from his legs upward, transforming into a full-body Armor-type Magic Equipment.
Clearly, this was an exceptionally well-crafted piece of defensive gear years of battlefield experience and accumulated wealth had made him formidable. As a Peak High-tier Mage, he was no easy prey.
Relying on this enchanted armor, he barely managed to withstand the brunt of three High-tier spells. But when he regained his senses, he realized something horrifying—
His loyal subordinates… were all dead!
The very men who had followed him into battle for years had been completely wiped out. He now stood utterly alone.
His adjutant, Jiang Yi, had lost half his body, his upper torso burned beyond recognition. His skeletal hand weakly clutched at the hem of his commander's robes, his eyes filled with desperate hope only for the light in them to flicker out forever.
It was as if, with his final breath, he had entrusted his vision of a glorious future and a new regime entirely onto Lu Nian.
Witnessing this devastating loss, Lu Nian's fury ignited into an uncontrollable rage. He bellowed, "Who the hell are you?! I'll make sure you all die!!!"
The trial students, shielded by the Heavens Water Curtain, were physically unharmed, but witnessing this massacre unfold before their eyes left them shaken to their cores.
The sight of living, breathing humans being reduced to blood and dust, their flesh and bones scattered across the battlefield, was a trauma beyond what many of them had ever imagined.
Several of them stumbled and collapsed to the ground sheltered by privilege, they had never witnessed such raw carnage before.
At this moment, Lu Jun and his team finally made their grand entrance from the depths of the forest.
With a smirk playing at the corner of his lips, Lu Jun spoke: "Lu Nian… didn't see this coming, did you?"
"You—"
Lu Nian's expression flickered. From the depths of his memory, he finally recognized the young man standing before him.
Then his gaze shifted beyond Lu Jun to the five High-tier mages flanking him, as well as the dozen or so student mages standing in formation behind them.
Despair washed over him like a tidal wave.
"Even if I die… I'll drag a few of you down with me!"
He let out a guttural roar, his eyes gleaming with bloodthirsty malice, assuming a stance of pure desperation.
Lu Jun and his team braced themselves for battle.
Yet, in the very next instant—
A flash of earthy-yellow light enveloped Lu Nian's body, and before anyone could react, his figure sank into the ground like quicksand.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished into the depths of the land, fleeing at an astonishing speed beyond their visual range.
"Huh?! Trying to run?!"
Lu Jun was momentarily stunned before exclaiming in surprise, "As expected of a formidable figure knowing when to advance and when to retreat."
But the next moment, his expression turned indifferent as he calmly stated, "The army outside has sealed off the area. Let's see where you can run to."
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
His eyes shimmered with one black and one white light, and a surge of powerful spiritual energy radiated out. The Level 4 Mist of Fear was activated, and a spectral Vengeful Ghost Mark locked onto Lu Nian, who was escaping underground, shadowing his every move.
"Run, go ahead and run all you want!"
Lu Jun sneered as two Wind Mages each carried a person, while he himself stepped onto his flying sword, leading the group in a leisurely pursuit.
On the ground, Lu Nian was fleeing in panic. Seeing the high-level mages chasing him from above, he gritted his teeth and, instead of heading toward the outskirts of Jinlin City, he rushed toward Dongting Lake.
From the sky, Lu Jun observed the trajectory and was slightly surprised. Then, following Lu Nian's path to the horizon, he noticed a colossal nest resembling a mountain, inhabited by countless Earth Lizard Behemoths.
Atop the mountain, an enormous and terrifying Pseudo-Dragon Giant Lizard lay in slumber.
This pseudo-dragon was undoubtedly a Commander-level demon, carrying a trace of true dragon bloodline. Its combat strength far exceeded that of others in the same tier. The local military district had repeatedly requested assistance to eliminate this beast.
For a moment, Lu Jun felt a sense of déjà vu. Originally, it was Mo Fan who had voluntarily rushed into the giant lizard's nest, seeking a chance to survive amidst certain death. Now, it was Lu Nian fleeing in disgrace toward the same place.
What an ironic twist of fate poetic justice at its finest!
"Heh, today, I'll make you taste true despair."
Lu Jun assigned tasks, instructing Zhan Kong and Professor Yuan, "You two are best at containment. Head straight to the Pseudo-Dragon Giant Lizard's lair and hold that beast off for a while. We'll deal with Lu Nian and regroup shortly."
Hearing this, the two had no objections. After all, they had to deal with both threats anyway. Among the five of them, each possessed formidable abilities and did not fear a typical Commander-level creature.
Lu Jun nodded but soon realized that Lu Mei and Zhan Kong, the two Wind Mages, had to carry them all during flight, which would slow their speed considerably.
So, he recalled his Summoning Element. From his Basic Dimensional Summon, he had contracted the Night Thunder Dream Beast. Though it couldn't fly, its speed on land was unmatched.
Without hesitation, he put away his Black Gold Dragon Pattern Sword and leaped from midair, rapidly sketching out a Star Track as moon-white magical energy surged.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
On the ground, an enormous black-purple magic formation interwove, its intricate patterns spreading with an eerie and ominous glow.
Suddenly, thick black mist erupted from the formation, and a shadowy black-purple figure burst forth like a lightning bolt, charging straight toward Lu Nian's location.
At the same moment, Lu Jun landed precisely, mounting the Night Thunder Dream Beast's broad back.
Seated atop the beast, he felt its fur soft and smooth. The ride was incredibly stable, and the raging winds around him were dispelled by the surrounding lightning and darkness. As he rode, he truly lived up to the reputation of the most stylish Summoner.
Moreover, once it started running, its speed gradually approached that of an Emperor-tier creature.
Lu Jun glanced around as the fierce winds howled, blurring the landscape. His speed had surpassed that of the two high-level Wind Mages flying in the sky, as well as his own sword flight.
From above, the group looked down to see a streak of black lightning shooting forward like an arrow, overtaking them and gradually closing in on Lu Nian.
Finally, Lu Jun took the lead and intercepted the fleeing enemy.
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Douluo Dalu:This Soul Master is to Weird {30 Chapters}
Patreon. Com/ALLISWELL123
FOR BONUS CHPTERS:
50 Power Stones = 1 Chapters
100 Power Stones = 2 Chapters
200 Power Stones = 3 Chapters
300 Power Stones = 4 Chpaters
400 Power Stones = 6 Chpaters